Min Gems or Geometric Diminishing Returns (R=Exp+)

[Bj_Knows]

Subject
Cassidy 100 Wins versus each class

This weekend, Lean WM Cassidy got her 100 Wins versus Justicars, completing her 100 Wins versus each class. Coincidently, this also completed both the Event Quests this weekend (40 PvP Bouts & 20 Wins).

Since then Cassidy has been winning just enough Bouts to stay high Bronze I and then either throwing the Bout (if full gear) or fighting Pants Style (Tier 8 Sword, Tier 1 Torso Armor, Tier 1 Leg Armor) to help other characters complete the Event Quests Monday and Tuesday.

[Bj_Knows]

Subject
Cassidy and PvP Feats

For PvP Feats, the League Feats are just based on Gear. At Plat 1 & Masters approx. 26.34 Might per PvP Rating. At Silver 3, approx. 16.86 Might per PvP Rating. So Cassidy is just going to ignore League Feats until get Tier 18 Weapon.

Defeating 100 of each class returns more than 8 HT per Win. But after you have defeated 100 of each class, and 500 Wins, you get less than 2.5 HT per win. The difference between Cassidy fighting in Silver 3 and Bronze 3 is 60 Marks per Bout versus 40 Marks per Bout.

Since Cassidy has defeated 100 of each class, she is switching to Pants PvP Farming in Bronze 3.

Data
Defeat 100 Justicars= 5 HT per Win
Defeat 100 War Mages= 5 HT per Win
Defeat 100 Shadow Walkers= 5 HT per Win

Win 250= 4 HT per Win
Win 500= 3 HT per Win
Win 1000= 2 HT per Win
Win 2500= 1 HT per Win

Might per PvP Rating
Max Might PvE= Base Might * 1.81 (Max Enchants)
Effective Max Might PvP= Base Might * 2.01 (Max Enchants, Full Coliseum Set)

Current Max Might * 2.01 / 1.81 =
71,172 (Hi Cia) * 2.01 / 1.81 =
Effective Max Might PvP= 79036

Max PvP Rating with Plat 1 & Masters= approx. 3000

Approx. 26.34 Might per PvP Rating in Plat 1 & Masters

Cassidy Highest PvP Rating 725
Might Rating 12230
Approx. 16.86 Might per PvP Rating in Silver 3

Bronze 3 is 40 Marks per Bout
Silver 3 is 60 Marks per Bout

[Bj_Knows]

Since Cassidy has defeated 100 of each class, she is switching to Pants PvP Farming in Bronze 3.

Further PvP shows it takes almost as long for Cassidy to lose a Pants Bout as Cassidy to win a normal Bout. Venan seriously nerfed PvP Health Multiplier, Health Gems and Staff Mastery. It would be interesting to see what those changes did to their AFK Forfeit numbers, since it is much easier to kill an AFK character than in any previous version of BoH.

[Bj_Knows]

After running a lot of raids (Note 1), Cassidy is 3 Valor short of her Tier 14 Staff 1.3 Speed. I was planning on holding off until Lucky, to compare it with the Shillelagh, but might try to win a TVal Weapon instead.

Note 1)
Thank you everyone!

2015-02-02 5:36 PM Hijos de Glenfort
GK, Gold, 1 with 11900 RPP, 637 CV, 510 HT
2015-02-04 8:05 AM Peaches
VG, Gold, 21 with 3775 RPP, 205 CV, 159 HT
2015-Feb-04 12:10 PM Family Pride
GK, Gold, 27 with 3925 RPP, 176 CV, 141 HT

2015-Feb-04 6:36 PM Beginners Club Captains
VG, Silver, 6 with 7675 RPP, 328 CV, 255 HT
2015-Feb-05 8:24 AM Langkasuka
GK, Gold, tied 2 with 4975 RPP, 251 CV, 201 HT
2015-Feb-05 12:04 PM Langkasuka
VG, Gold, 7 with 6800 RPP, 362 CV, 282 HT (Burned 4 GS)

2015-Feb-06 11:48 AM Langkasuka
VG, Gold, 2 with 6775 RPP, 416 CV, 324 HT (Burned 4 GS)
2015-Feb-06 5:15 PM Ethereal Dragons
VG, Gold, 39 with 2875 RPP, 153 CV, 119 HT
2015-Feb-08 4:35 PM Nordisch bei Natur
GK, Bronze, 12 with 7225 RPP, 191 CV, 153 HT

2015-Feb-09 8:25 AM Peaches
VG, Gold, 44 with 2875 RPP, 155 CV, 120 HT
2015-Feb-09 11:57 AM Langkasuka
VG, Gold, 2 with 7075 RPP, 432 CV, 336 HT (Burned 4 GS)
2015-Feb-11 9:01 AM Langkasuka
GK, Gold, 50 with 3175 RPP, 144 CV, 115 HT

2015-Feb-11 12:10 PM Langkasuka
VG, Silver, 4 with 7525 RPP, 320 CV, 249 HT
2015-Feb-12 12:01 PM Langkasuka
VG, Gold, tie 2 with 7225 RPP, 431 CV, 335 HT (Burned 4 GS)
2015-Feb-13 11:47 AM Langkasuka
VG, Gold, 11 with 5125 RPP, 274 CV, 213 HT (work disruption)

[Bj_Knows]

Most Raids I have run Cassidy in are Too Long or Too Short.

Having fun teaching new players the ropes in Merc Chat, but today's Raid ended with Cassidy still having 20 Energy (and 3 Valor short of her Tier 14 Staff). I do better with emptying my Energy Bar as a silent Merc, especially at work.

Brings up one of my problems when I was in a Guild. I love to talk, but the silent players get more Kill per Energy Bar. Either the Raid ends with my Energy Bar not empty, or Phase ends while I still have half my Onslaught Timer because I have been chatting with the members of the Guild. If I don't chat, people think I am snubbing them, or consider their question a newbie question (Note 1).

Venan always shoots it down, but I wish Raids were more like Guild Challenges. In Deathwing Raiders and Warriors of the SPOON we always had lively chats while finishing Guild Challenges, but most Guild Favors are... poor.

Note 1)
My dad taught at the military academy for years. If one class member asked a question, there was always five to ten others with the same question that were afraid too look like a newbie by asking it. If you don't understand the textbook, you have to ask your teacher or a classmate. If you don't understand the teacher, they are *right there* don't waste their time by letting them continue when you don't know what came before. Be smart, be brave, ask.

[Bj_Knows]

Subject
Finding a Raid

Cassidy has had a pretty relaxed Double Valor Double Essence Weekend (go VG Raid). Only 1 out of 3 Raids, she got bumped twelve spaces down by last minute heavy burners. Normally that is all the Raids on a Double Valor, which is why I usually sit them out as a player, I don’t need the insanity considering how many hours of raid it takes to get a full set of Tier 14 Gear (CJ is getting better, but was sick yesterday, so I did many hours of BoH).

But during the week, and the Double Valor Double Essence Weekend, Captain Valor Raids seem light, hopefully this is just a lull in BoH (Note 1). While BoH’s business plan definitely needs work, I would hate to have MMOs fall into two categories a) World of Warcraft, b) Farmville. Especially since part of Farmville’s business plan involved soliciting heavy spenders will special rates for spending $5000 USD at a time.

Note 1)
Last Week Guilds running:
Guardian Valor 41
Champion Valor 38
Captain Valor 47
Knight Valor 79
Soldier Valor 141
Squire Valor 297

Last Week 12,126 characters had a Hero Score of 101 or higher (remember, trivial combats no longer give Hero Score), at least 13,313 characters, maybe more, had a PvP Rating of 2.

[Bj_Knows]

Subject
Returning PvP Character’s Morale or Zeetha’s Law

When Venan added T18 Sets, characters Rating dropped again to Y-X-Z for characters with full T10 PvA Gear & T3 Gems. Earning even less per Bout since Venan did not add a League between Platinum & Masters (or were unable to based on population spread).

Justicar Zeetha was trying to test out some anit- War Mage rotations, when I discovered an unintended consequence of Venan’s current PvP Rating. We shall call this rule Zeetha’s Law. “The more changes to Gear, Gem and Enchant that Venan has made since a character last entered PvP, the more likely they are to quit PvP, or BoH”. Because of the math (Note 1) it may take 10- 100 losses in a row for PvP Matching to work again. Since it takes an average of 5 wins to offset the morale loss of 1 loss, that can lead to rage quitting of PvP or BoH.

Note 1)
Elo based Ratings assume there has been no huge difference between the last time a player was rated and the current PvP Bout. But every time Venan changes Gear, Gems and Enchants, the high level PvP players get a huge advantage over dormant players. It it is similar to replacing half the high level PvP Player’s pawns with Queens in a chess match. The problem comes with a loss. Since the statistics are not set up for the 50% Queen upgrade, it will take 10- 100 losses in a row before the math self adjusts to the correct level. The math assumes a player is constantly playing, at the same rate as other players, when Gear, Gems and Enchants are upgraded. BarbSpice ruthlessly took advantage of this flaw at the start of Season 1 due to her huge stockpile of Essence while most elder players had changed it all to Refined Essence or Pure Essence. She quickly changed her Enchants to more effective Season 1, Rank 3 Enchants, while others were still farming Essence. Zeetha has not played since her 50 fights in the first few months of Season 1, and is suffering the flip side of this math.

[Bj_Knows]

Subject
Double Weekend

(***start Double Valor, Double Essence, Bonus Gem Weekend***)

2015-Feb-13 6:24 PM Hijos de Glenfort
VG, Gold, 20 with 5330 RPP, 565 CV, 439 HT
2015-Feb-14 1:21 PM The Black Fist
VG, Gold, 18 with 4375 RPP, 472 CV, 367 HT

2015-Feb-14 4:59 PM Sverige
VG, Gold, 7 with 9650 RPP, 1019 CV, 792 HT (Burning)

2015-Feb-15 11:43 PM Wolves of Ari
VG, Gold, 1 with 17875 RPP, 2285 CV, 1777 HT (Elixir of Stamina and Burning)

2015-Feb-16 12:00 PM Langkasuka
VG, Gold, 2 with 7075 RPP, 866 CV, 673 HT (no Burning due to Guild Drama, but Elixir of Stamina)

(***end Double Valor, Double Essence, Bonus Gem Weekend***)

[Bj_Knows]

Subject
Cassidy buys some Tier 14 Gear

That was the worst Valentine Day of my life (Note 1). Now that we are home safe, minus my iPhone, I have used CJ’s iPhone to buy a Tier 14 Cloak, Tier 14 Ring and Tier 14 Gauntlets. I used Arcane Transfer to move the Enchants from Cassidy’s Tier 11 Gear.

When I tried to Enchant Cassidy’s old Tier 11 Cloak and Ring, I then discovered Lean WM Cassidy does not have the Luck Recipe, so I killed a whole bunch of Pirates (Arrr!).

Now that Cassidy has the Might, I have been Questing to unlock the Legacy of Blades Raid (Note 2).

Note 1)
Any four day, Valentine Weekend that starts with you swapping hotels due to earthquake damage, continues on a downhill trend, and ends with shoveling snow (over an eight hour period) to get your car out of the hotel parking lot and back into your own driveway, is a bad Valentine Weekend.

Note 2)
Between my dead iPhone, and the old iPods not supporting the latest BoH, I may not be playing BoH much this month.

[Bj_Knows]

Trick for reading your BoH Mail while waiting for PvP Matching to find you an opponent:
https://www.venan.com/boh_forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7627